AN: Well guys, here it is, another chapter. I'm sorry it took a while to update, I've been swamped with essaye for uni and this chapter is more of a filler but seeing as though it's the weekend now, I should have the next up ASAP, I already know what I'm writing and I'm realy excited about it.

russian squirrel: Don't worry, this is definitely a Trory.

Oh and to anybody questioning St. Jimmy, he will be explained more in the next chapter!

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Disclaimer: I don't own GG

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...Is he all the things you tried to change me into?...

Wednesday rolled around again, one week since Tristan had suddenly arrived back at Chilton. Rory had managed to avoid him like the plague in the days before, it was easy when you were perpetually surrounded like she was by her group although The Icon hadn't been in for two days. Still, her second class of the day was Creative Writing and she knew he'd be there. She could bounce of course, but she'd been doing that a lot lately.

Resignedly she made her way into class and took her seat. Ms. Orchard was scrawling instructions on the white board. Once everyone was there she turned to the class, a mischievous smiled playin on her face.

"Well guys, I think we've done enough of short story wrting,"

Some kids nodded enthusiastically. "...so I want to try something new, in pairs I want you guys to try and write five minute skits which will be given to the theatre club to produce for parents night,"

Rory straightened up, this sounded interesting.

"You may choose your own partner," Sonia continued, "but please, let's make this quick." She clapped her hands and sent them to work. Rory turned to see who else was in the class, but as she did Tristan sat down next to her. She stared at him,

"What?"

He shrugged.

"I thought we could work together," He said.

"Well you thought wrong," She replied icily.

"Oh come on Rory, I've even got a good idea,"

Rory scanned the rest of the room, searching for someone who could save her but evyone else was already paired off.

"Fine," She replied, never meeting his eyes.

Rory took mo time tha was necessary gathering her pencils and books. Sonia Orchard had told them they could work anywhere they liked for the rest of the class as long as they were actually working.

"For Christ's sake Rory, the second coming of Christ moves faster than you do,"

She glared at him and slung her satchel overher shoulder, letting him lead the way.

They finally arrived at an upstairs alcove with a small sofa. He set down his bag and sprawled on the cch as Rory busied herself with a notebook and pen.

"So what's your idea?" She asked, her tone business like.

He was leaning with his head on the back of the couch, his eyes closed. When she spoke he slowly leant her head to face her and opened his eyes. She almost smiled when she met his sparkling blue eyes, but caught herself in time.

"Your story," He said, as though it were obvious.

"Excuse me?" Rory asked, perplexedly.

"Your story, the one you read to me last week in class, it's a good story."

Rory was horrified, she'd assumed he would have forgotten her ever reading that.

"No, we can't do that," She stammered.

"Why not?"

"It's...we just can't. I don't want to do that."

He rubbed the bridge of his nose and leant forward in his seat.

"Think about it, expanded, it could be great. And the setting's easy to use for a play."

"No," Rory said firmly.

"Fine, what do you want to do?"

"I don't care," She snapped, crossg her arms across her chest.

"So you can read the story out in class but it can't be performed?" He asked with a laugh.

Rory jumped to her feet, grabbing up her things.

"I said no Tristan, you can't use that story!" She cried hysterically.

Tristan watched her run down the hall. Huh, he thought, interesting...

Rory sat on a bench out the front of school, her shoulders heaving and breathing ragged. I will not cry, I will not cry, she told herself. Why had he remembered it? She had been stupid to write about that in the first place. He couldn't ask her to use that story, to use those emotions that were still so raw for the entertainment of Chilton parents. Everyone would know then, they wouldn't be hers anymore.

Tristan watched her for a few minutes from the shadows at the entry to Chilton. She was definitely a different girl to the one he'd left, dressed up in her costume nearly two years before. Of course people changed, but he'd neverthought he'd see this in Rory Gilmore. So perhaps he had lied when he'd told the guys he hadn't pined for her while he was away. In the beginning he had, he'd even started a few letters to her that he'd never sent. He had been completely infatuated with her at the time. Of course, that had faded as those things do, but seeing her sitting, sobbing most likely, still made his chest tighten.

Rory didn't acknowledge him at first when he sat down next to her, concentrating instead on her knotted hands. Finally she took a deep breath and in a strong, clear voice, spoke to him.

"I'm sorry I got hysterical like that. But I mean it when I say we can't use that story...it couldn't end well, it doesn't end well."

Tristan studied her, her flame-red curls bounced around her face, hiding her emotions from him as her clinical voice shared nothing.

"Who was he?" Tristan asked.

Roy stiffened but didn't say anything.

"The guy in the story I mean," He clarified.

Rory sighed,

"I knnow who you meant Tristan, but you need to understand tha you have no right to know anymore."

Slowly she stood.

"I'll come over to your house after school and we can get this thing done, try and think of another idea."

Tristan sat in stunned silence as she left.

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"Woo ooh," Sang Luna, "Triiiistaaan," She had been chattering to him all the down the hall but he was a million miles away.

"Yeah?" he asked, irritatedly.

"Well sorry," She huffed under her breath and his frown broke.

"I'm sorry," He said with a smile, wrapping his arm around her.

She frowned but decided against reprimanding him for ignoing her. Instead, she wrapped her arm around his waist and continued on with her story as they entered the cafeteria.

Rory, Louise and Madeline were seated at their table waiting for Finn when Virge and Tom sat down. They were two guys who had run with them the year before, but, like the others, had dropped away afterwards. Rory looked up in surprise.

"Hey Gilmore," Virge greeted her with a wink, "Saw you at Blake's on the weekend, looking good." She smiled sweetly but inwardly rolled her eyes. Louise pouted.

"And what about me?" She asked.

"You my only love, looked devastatingly beautiful," Finn said as he took his seat beside her and kissed her temple. Louise smiled brightly and started eating her salad.

"So Gilmore, are you gonna give me a hug or just sit there so far away?" Virge asked. He had always been convinced that Rory had it bad for him. She pouted and stood up, stretching across the table to cup his cheek with her hand.

"Aww, poor Virge all alone with Tommy!" she cooed.

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Tristan found his gaze landing solidly on Rory Gilmore throughout lunch. His eyebrows shot up as she stroked Virge Caplan's cheek. In front of him Luna's phone was vibrating madly on the table. She snatched it up and, with an apologetic look to Summer, raced out of the cafeteria. Tristan kept his eyes trained on Rory as she sat back down with a giggle, tossing her hair over her shoulder. She seemed so happy, so normal now, not the sobbing, hysterical wreck he'd seen that morning. He cocked his head, confused what he was feeling.

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Luna pressed her hands to her eyes, willing the tears to stop as she stood outside the cafeteria. Finally she wasable to pocket her mobile and make her way to Tristan's table.

"Tristan," She said quietly, her voice startlingly sober. She laid her hand on his shoulder and he turned, laughing to see her.

Tristan took in Luna's red-rimmed eyes and skaing hands. In a second he was on his feet.

"What's wrong?"

She bit her trembling lip and stared at the ceiling.

"Something's happened, something in the gulf...I...can we go home?"

Rory watched as Tristan ledd a shaking Luna from the cafeteria. What was going on with them?

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AN: So there it is, sorry about how short it was, but I will reward the faithful with a nice, juicy chapter next! R&R!